AmeriHealth New Jersey today announced that the company will be expanding its Medicare coverage to serve almost the entire state. Previously, AmeriHealth New Jersey’s Medicare Advantage coverage was limited to five counties. Now the company will serve 17 counties statewide. In addition, individuals who were previously covered by the AmeriHealth 65Preferred HMO Plan in the original five counties will see a premium decrease.

“As the only health plan exclusively focused on New Jersey we are always looking for new ways to offer the people of our state affordable, quality options,” Mike Munoz, senior vice president of sales and marketing for AmeriHealth New Jersey. “We saw an opportunity to increase access for Medicare beneficiaries, and at the same time reduce costs for our existing members.”

The AmeriHealth 65Preferred HMO Plan provides all Part A and Part B benefits plus:

“We are committed to serving our members and prospective members during this open enrollment period and speaking with them about ways to save them money and keep them healthy,” said Munoz. “We are here to help members make the best plan choice to meet their needs. We‘re hosting over 100 meetings and setting up information booths at a number of local retail pharmacies and supermarkets to help people get the information they need to make informed decisions.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) generally permits individual Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan or Part D plan only during the six-week annual enrollment period, from October 15 to December 7.

Beneficiaries cannot change to another Medicare Advantage plan after December 7, however, from January 1 to February 14, CMS allows Medicare beneficiaries to disenroll from a Medicare Advantage plan and sign up for a Medicare Supplement or return to Original Medicare.

Any members with a MA plan that may have been discontinued by another insurer will have a special election period from Oct. 15 to Feb. 28 to select a new MA plan.

Members and prospective members can learn more about the AmeriHealth 65Preferred HMO Plan by visiting or calling 1-800-898-3492 (TTY/TDD 1-877-219-5457).

AmeriHealth HMO, Inc. and AmeriHealth Insurance Company of New Jersey (collectively, AmeriHealth New Jersey) provide health insurance coverage to employers and individuals throughout New Jersey.

AmeriHealth New Jersey and its affiliates are a growing group of insurance and health companies whose product portfolios include health insurance, workers' compensation, property and casualty insurance, and management services. AmeriHealth New Jersey headquarters are located in Cranbury, NJ. For more information on AmeriHealth New Jersey, visit .